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Matelea pubiflora (Dcne.) Woods.
Trailing Milkvine
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: Rare
Global Rank: G3G4
State Rank: S2
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 33
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Exposed sandy soils; sandridges
Perennial herb with trailing stems 8 - 43 inches (20 - 110 cm) long, trailing along the ground or, rarely, climbing on nearby plants. The leaves are 0.8 - 2 inches (2 - 5 cm) long, heart-shaped, opposite. Flower clusters are held in the angle between leaf and stem, each with 2 - 5 flowers. The flowers are about 0.4 inch (1 cm) wide, with 5 olive-green or reddish-brown petals conspicuously covered on the upper surface with long, white hairs. Fruits are spiny, cucumber-like pods 2.4 - 4.3 inches (6 - 11 cm) long and 0.4 - 1 inch (1 - 2.5 cm) wide. All parts of the plant exude milky latex if broken.
Other Matelea species twine up nearby plants and have much larger leaves. No other Matelea species in Georgia occurs in dry, sandy habitats, and no other has conspicuously hairy flowers.
Five species of Matelea are rare in Georgia:
Alabama Milkvine (Matelea alabamensis) flowers are green with a conspicuous network of darker green veins and a dark yellow ring (corona) surrounding the central column; at the top of the column, five white anther flaps create a star pattern. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/editprofile?group=plants&es_id=16946
Yellow Milkvine (Matelea flavidula) flowers are also green with a less well defined network of veins; the yellow ring (corona) surrounding the central column appears to broken into 5 segments, and the top of the column is green without a conspicuous star pattern. For images, see: https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=7449293%40N02&view_all=1&text=matelea%20flavidula
Florida Milkvine (Matelea floridana) usually has dark maroon or yellowish-green flowers. It is known from only one southwest Georgia county. For more information, see: https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/editprofile?group=plants&es_id=20426
Limerock Milkvine (Matelea obliqua) flowers are rose, maroon, green, or cream-colored with narrow, pointed petals that are frequently curved upward; in Georgia, it occurs only in northwestern counties in moist, limestone-based hardwood forests. For more information, see: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAOB2
Trailing Milkvine (Matelea pubiflora) leaves are only up to 2 inches long and its flowers are very hairy; it occurs in southeast Georgia in open, dry, sandy scrub or sand ridge habitat. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=22014
Dry, sandy soils of sandhills and sand ridges, usually with Longleaf Pine and Turkey Oak.
Trailing Milkvine is a perennial herb that reproduces sexually by seed. Its flowers are pollinated by flies which visit the flowers to obtain nectar. Flowers remain open for 5 - 6 days. When a fly inserts its proboscis into a flower, a packet of pollen may stick to the underside of the proboscis; the packet may then be transferred to a flower on the next plant the fly visits, although this actually happens fairly infrequently. Trailing Milkvine fruits mature in late summer and fall, when they split open to release hundreds of tufted seeds that are dispersed by the wind.
Surveys are best conducted during flowering (April–June) and fruiting (August–October) although the growth form and leaves are distinctive throughout the growing season.
Georgia and Florida.
Fire suppression, conversion of habitat to pine plantations, agriculture, golf courses, and residential and commercial developments.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Natural system modifications | Energy production & mining | Transportation & service corridors |
| Specific Threat | None | None | None |
Matelea pubiflora is ranked S2 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that it is imperiled in Georgia. Thirty-three populations have been documented, about half on conservation land.
Apply prescribed fire every 2 - 3 years in scrub and sandhill. Prevent conversion of sandhills to golf courses, pine plantations, pasture, and residential and commercial developments. Limit access by off-road vehicles.
Chafin, L.G. 2007. Field guide to the rare plants of Georgia. State Botanical Garden of Georgia and University of Georgia Press, Athens.
Drapalik, D.J. 1970. A biosystematic study of the genus Matelea in the southeastern United States. Dissertation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
GADNR. 2020. Element occurrence records for Matelea pubiflora. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, Georgia.
McDonnell, A., M. Parks, and M. Fishbein. 2018. Multilocus phylogenetics of New World milkweed vines (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae, Gonolobinae). Systematic Botany 43(1): 77-96. https://bioone.org/journals/Systematic-Botany/volume-43/issue-1/036364418X697021/Multilocus-Phylogenetics-of-New-World-Milkweed-Vines-Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae-Gonolobinae/10.1600/036364418X697021.pdf
NatureServe. 2019. Matelea pubiflora comprehensive report. NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Matelea+pubiflora
Patrick, T.S., J.R. Allison, and G.A. Krakow. 1995. Protected plants of Georgia. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle.
Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Small, J.K. 1933. Manual of the southeastern flora. 1972 Reprint Edition. Hafner Publishing Company, New York.
Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-Atlantic States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
Wunderlin, R.P and B.F. Hansen. 2003. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida, 2nd edition. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Linda G. Chafin
L. Chafin, Jun. 2008: original account
K. Owers, Feb. 2010: added pictures
L. Chafin, Mar. 2020: updated original account.
